Spotify launches educational drive to combat artificial streaming

The campaign focuses on a newly released Spotify for Artists Masterclass video, which demystifies the issue and explains how musicians can identify and avoid fraudulent services.

Artificial streaming involves fake plays generated by bots or click farms, often sold through services promising guaranteed streams or playlist placements. These illegitimate tactics can inflate statistics, mislead fans, reduce royalty pay-outs, and result in penalties from streaming platforms.

The Masterclass video, now live on YouTube, features key voices from the music industry, including Andreea Gleeson (CEO, TuneCore), David Martin (CEO, Featured Artists Coalition), and Bryan Johnson (Head of Artist & Industry Partnerships, International at Spotify).

“It’s very important that we protect the ecosystem,” Gleeson said. “We want royalties going to artists with legitimate listeners. That’s why we formed the Music Fights Fraud Alliance, bringing together distributors, platforms, and labels to tackle fraud through detection, enforcement, and education.”

Spotify uses a combination of machine learning, manual reviews, and industry collaboration to detect and remove artificial streams. According to Johnson, any plays flagged as fraudulent are removed from royalty calculations, do not contribute to public stream counts, and could result in financial penalties for labels and distributors.

“You can’t buy your way onto a playlist,” said Johnson. “Any service promising placements or stream boosts for a fee is a scam.”

Martin echoed these concerns, warning artists to be sceptical of direct messages and online offers promising rapid success.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” he said. “Do your research and avoid services that guarantee fans or playlist placements.”

The campaign also highlights the unintentional risks artists face when third-party marketers or overzealous team members engage fraudulent services on their behalf. Even well-meaning efforts to promote music can lead to penalties if artificial streaming is detected.

Spotify encourages artists to watch the Masterclass, stay informed, and report suspicious activity. The platform is committed to ensuring that music reaches real audiences and that genuine artistry is rewarded fairly.

For more information, view the below video directly on YouTube: